Sulaiman made this statement after receiving a visit from Minister of Agriculture and Food Security of Malaysia, Datuk Seri Haji Mohamad Bin Sabu, at his office in Jakarta, Tuesday.
"In the meeting, (Malaysia) inquired about the possibility of importing rice from Indonesia. I said that for the time being, Indonesia is still maintaining the stock of rice," Sulaiman noted.
He added that Malaysia's domestic rice production currently only meets around 40 to 50 percent of its total demand.
In addition to Malaysia, Sulaiman mentioned an upcoming visit from a Japanese delegation, though he did not provide details. He noted that rice prices in Japan continue to rise, almost reaching Rp100 thousand (US$5.78) per kilogram.
The minister reported that Indonesia's national rice stock stands at 3.36 million tons today and is expected to reach four million tons in May.
Meanwhile, Datuk Seri Haji Mohamad Bin Sabu acknowledged the superiority of Indonesian agricultural technology, particularly in increasing rice yields.
"I remember the results were up to 12 tons, the highest was 13 tons, and the average was already at 7 tons," he noted.
In addition to rice imports, he also expressed interest in learning about Indonesia's advances in agricultural technology, especially for rice and corn.
Sabu said his side also opened up opportunities for agricultural knowledge exchange between the two countries.
"We will try to exchange technology or conduct joint coaching to learn new technology in the agricultural sector, especially rice, fish, corn, and various other commodities," he remarked.
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Translator: Shofi Ayudiana, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Aditya Eko Sigit Wicaksono
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